So, you have an idea for a website, but now what? If you’re new to web publishing, like me, it can be challenging to know where to start. The image above is a digital interpretation of a sketch my husband drew on the whiteboard in my home office. He was trying to explain the correlation between domains, web hosting, and WordPress. Although his sketch helped me understand the components I needed to make a functional website, I still had questions. How much does it cost? How do I know which hosting service to choose? If you find yourself with a similar query, then the article, “How to choose the best web host: A cheat sheet,” is an excellent resource for you. The article was written by Mark Kaelin for Tech Republic, a company dedicated to providing whitepapers, webcasts, and newsletters about the latest IT news and practices.

Mark Kaelin is a contributing writer for Tech Republic and has more than 25 years of experience in the IT field. His article provides a list of eleven prominent web hosting companies and explains everything you should consider when choosing a provider and plan that’s right for you. I’ll be discussing one of these considerations, which is cost.

Understanding the cost of web hosting plans

As I mentioned, Kaelin’s article identifies eleven major web hosting companies. These companies are presented to the reader in a table that lists each one’s monthly price, uptime guarantee, storage space provided, whether or not building tools are included, if a domain is provided, and the level of customer support. Some of the table’s information is outdated; the article was published on February 28, 2019. For instance, 1&1 is now IONOS. I thought about creating an updated table using Kaelin’s information as a template. However, I realized that each hosting service’s plan pricing varies widely based on the features you need. All the varying information seems too much to display in a table.

For example, DreamHost, one of the hosting services listed on the table, has a wide array of plans that differ based on the length of service, server type, and space needed. Prices range from $2.59 per month for basic shared hosting to $279 per month for dedicated server hosting. Kaelin mentions in his article that “many services will offer low promotional rates for the first year or two and then raise the price to “standard” levels once the promotional time-period is complete.” This is true for DreamHost’s offer of $2.59 per month for the basic plan. You have to commit to a three-year service plan to get this price, and you’re charged up-front for the duration. Once the initial contract expires, your account renews at the non-promotional rate for the contract length specified.

Beware of free domain offers

Most hosting sites try to entice you by saying they offer a free domain. But there’s usually a catch to that as well. I’ll explain by using DreamHost as an example again. Their Shared Starter plan says a free domain is included. When you click on the question mark icon next to the feature, however, you’ll see the stipulations. Actually, what you get is a free domain registration credit for one year, and you have to commit to a one or three-year plan. If you want to keep the domain name after the first year, you have to pay the current renewal rate. Domain registration and renewal rates vary based on the extension you choose.

You have to do a bit of digging to understand the full scope of a hosting service’s fees. Kaelin states in his article that, “Choosing a web hosting service is a long-term commitment and should never be made without serious and comprehensive research.” My advice is to review the service agreements before making your decision.

A note about WordPress

One thing I found interesting is that most hosting services offer plans that come with WordPress already installed. For example, HostGator offers three plans that come with WordPress pre-installed; the cheapest plan is $5.95 per month if you sign a three-year contract. This price is about three dollars more per month than the lowest-rate three-year standard plan.

You can install WordPress on HostGator yourself, and they provide instructions on how to do that. Their article “How to Install WordPress with One Click” has a four-minute tutorial video and written instructions.

Professional Web Developer Jeff Starr also has a WordPress installation tutorial on LinkedIn Learning, “Installing WordPress: Shared Hosting.” Starr’s tutorial explains the concept of shared hosting, how to create a database, and how to set up WordPress on your hosting service. Although the tutorial is short (it’s only 35 minutes long), I admit that my eyes glazed over a little while watching the video.

I’m not a tech-savvy person and knowing that I can get a hosting plan with WordPress already installed is appealing. The few extra dollars per month may be worth it if it saves me from doing the installation myself; I’m not 100% confident that I could do it correctly.

Cost isn’t the only factor

Although cost is one of the main factors to consider when choosing a web-hosting service, it certainly isn’t the only one. Kaelin’s article also discusses factors such as performance, scalability, uptime, customer support, security, and several other factors. The wealth of information provided by Kaelin is why I think, “How to choose the best web host: A cheat sheet,” is such a great resource. If you’re thinking about building a website but haven’t purchased a hosing plan, hopefully Kaelin’s article will help you as you make your decision.

Note: This chapter is a revised version of a blog post titled, “The cost of web hosting: Do your research before you choose ,” on The Netizen Praxis.